Recently, Jackie Chan made a statement on Hai’nan BOAO Forum that Hong Kong and Taiwan are “very chaotic because of having too much freedom”, So he is “gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled. If we’re not being controlled, we’ll just do what we want.” This statement has drawn many complaints, some netizens attacked Chan’s statement; some even called for banning Chan’s movies and the products he represents.

As a human being, Jackie Chan has his good side, such as being enthusiastic about public services and charity. Also as a human being, Jackie Chan has his “evil” side, such as abandoning lovers and daughter. Again, as a human being, Jackie Chan has his own freedom of speech. Why he can’t make comments on what he thinks is wrong? Is it really necessary to make a big deal out of this common statement? To make it clear, don’t regard Jackie as a perfect guy.

网易江西赣州网友/(from Ganzhou, Jiangxi)

There is really nothing to attack. Nowadays people think that saying any bad thing about China is evil. It is good to be patriotic, but it is unnecessary to think that Chinese is perfect without any defect. He was just expressing his opinion, it is unnecessary to attack him. Most Chinese are reasonable people; know what is right and what is wrong. Some crazy netizens, have too much time and criticize anything out there.

网易广东深圳网友/(from Shenzhen, Guangdong)

Say something true to show majority’s defect, and then attacked by everybody – this is why those people who tell truth will never be accepted by the society.

网易辽宁大连网友/(from Dalian, Liaoning)

What Jackie Chan said is very objective, he hopes that Chinese people continually improve themselves in order to stand firm among the nations of the world. If we can’t face our own bad habits now, then which generation should we expect to give up those bad habits?

网易澳大利亚网友/(from Australia)

Make some sense! Nowadays a lot of Chinese don’t dare to face their own defect, government and normal citizens, too much impulsiveness.

网易广东惠州网友/(from Huizhou, Guangdong)

I agree with Jackie Chan, we all know by heart, it is actually the truth.

网易重庆网友/(from Chongqing)

I think he is the one needs to be controlled, he even couldn’t control his mouth. It is no good when you are not well-educated.

网易河北网友/(from Hebei)

I think among those netizens who against Jackie Chan, 80% are kids under 16. Their brains are still in the process of turning mature, so we don’t need to pay too much attention to their comment. As long as they grow up, they will understand what does brother Chan mean.

网易辽宁大连网友/(from Dalian, Liaoning)

Hongkong and Taiwan are really chaotic. Those politicians in Taiwan argued with each other all the time; and all their entertainment programs are using celebrity’s first kisses or sex to get audience. So much chaotic.

网易北京西城网友/(from Beijing)

If the entire Chinese are like Americans, sell something like guns, then China will become a hell. Why the people nowadays can’t figure this out? If 1.3 billion Chinese are as open as Americans, then what will be the consequence? We need to see the big picture; I think Jackie Chan is right.

网易福建网友/(from Fujian)

If Chinese people do not face up to our own shortcomings and inadequacies, I think China will sooner or later become a colony of Japan. A group of idiots, which point Jackie Chan stated was wrong? Chinese people are really inadequate in this aspect, nothing to be complaint about. With so many defects but afraid to be found out by others, this is really ridiculous!

网易云南昆明网友/(from Kunming, Yunnan)

There are two kinds of people in China, citizens and government officials. I’d like to ask brother Chan, should it be officials control the citizens or citizens control the officials?
If officials control the citizens, then who’s gonna control the officials?
If citizens control the officials, then how to control? Is it even possible?
If both of them need to be controlled, then controlled by who?
Or we all let you brother Chan control us, let you become China NO.1, are you satisfied?

Jackie Chan always positions himself as a patriotic. (His) Kung fu shows Chinese’s power and moral integrity, why he starts to speak ill of Chinese people?
If that’s the case, when think of brother Chan’s fighting back to evil force, does it also represent of having too much freedom?
His statement of Chinese doesn’t deserve freedom and should be controlled; this is a public insult for Chinese people. Since Chinese people need to be controlled, then does this mean we need to be controlled by non-Chinese?
Jackie Chan, you are not allowed to insult China and Chinese people! Just mind your own business as a special zone citizen!

zp82724

Let me tell you why Jackie Chan said this, it is because he is rich, which is equivalent to those dignitaries. He fears chaos!
If he was poor, if he is an exploitee, would he still talk like that?

floorle

Does this mean Jackie Chan want to be an official?

libieyu1982

Whether this news is true or not, Jackie Chan has fought his way aboard, which also is a true fact that he never loses our Chinese people’s face. Besides, it not excessive to give this kind of statement at his age.

ljftp

He has already settled down his family in a free country. And then he came here to dust the eye of us.
Whether it is good to have freedom or not has nothing to be argued with. The only question is where you want to go, a place with freedom or a place with despotism.

mlpnkobjiv

Brother Chan, you said that it is no good for Chinese people to have freedom, and Chinese people should be controlled, then I would like to ask you that would you like to be controlled? To be controlled as an normal Chinese citizen?
Chan make his influence to normal citizens as a tribute to governor, this kind of statement has surely put himself right on a flunky’s position.

天佑先知

It is clearly that Chan’s got more brawn than brains. What did he mean by saying “Chinese people need to be controlled”? Are Chinese people worse than foreigners? Are Chinese people Inferior to foreigners? Don’t forget that you are Chinese too. The freedom Chinese people have is already so negligible, and he still says bullshit like this.

tabitha1985

To some degree, I agree with Jackie Chan. Hongkong and Taiwan governments have been kidnapped by so called democracy and freedom. Let’s imagine if we are free like them, how chaotic China would be with a population of 1.3 billion?

“What Did Jackie Chan Say?”

[transcription]

Eh … actually … actually, China has been changing all along. During the ten years since I returned … for those ten years now, the progress has been very big, very big. Besides today, let us not forget, we have been reforming sixty years … thirty years … but our nation has been founded .. thirty years … we are just a small nation among large nations … how shall we say? … we have a history of five thousand years, but our new nation has only been founded sixty years ago. We have only opened up for thirty years. It is hard to make any comparisons with those …

But I suddenly feel that for the ten years since I returned … I slowly … I grew up in Hong Kong … I grew up in Hong Kong … from the time when Hong Kong was returned to China up until now, I can slowly see … I don’t know … eh … whether it is better to be free or it is better not to be free … right now I am really very confused … eh … if there is too much freedom, it becomes like Hong Kong today … very chaotic … furthermore, it becomes like Taiwan … it is also very chaotic … eh … I have slowly come to realize that we the Chinese people need regulation …

[laughter first, then applause from the audience]

If there is no regulation and we suddenly opened up, we can do whatever we want. Sometimes I feel that … eh … when I go to Singapore, why can’t I have chewing gum? Later I realized that it is correct to forbid people from having chewing gum. If I let you have chewing gum, some people are going to stick it underneath the table or on the chair. They don’t respect themselves. Many people are not like those people in the United States or Japan where they are spontaneously self-respecting. When you don’t have self-respect, the government will regulate. That is for certain. I can see that. Today people are doing whatever they want to do. Today a lot of people are abusing their freedom of speech, abusing their cultural freedom (in Cantonese) … eh … cultural freedom, they are abusing it … er … human rights. They abusing it.

Ever since I returned, our movie screening process has been a lot better today than ten years ago. I believe that it will continue to be a lot better ten years from now continually continually continually. Today our nation of China … I cannot speak for the nation … but I feel that our nation is learning continuously … it is learning continuously from the outside … really … you see that we hold so many research conferences in China, we hold… eh … and we send so many senior officials overseas to study, and this is all in order to learn. I believe that our China will become better and better. This is what I believe. [faint applause]

[cut to a different clip]

What I want to say is … when I was in Hong Kong, I was in the film industry. Sometimes, I want to say that our Hong Kong film industry really has no idea what it is up to. Really. They get a story today, they start filming tomorrow and they are ready to show the movie next week. They make so many, many lousy big movies. You can’t bear to watch anymore. Sometimes I wonder why Hong Kong … Hong Kong in the past … would let such movies be shown? Our film industry produces so many lousy movies. Right. Every country has its own system. When I go to the United States, I cross the street and the police will stop me if I go through a red light. You have to observe the laws of that nation. If you go to Vietnam, you will have to abide by Vietnamese regulations. If you go to Singapore, you will have to abide by Singaporean regulations. In China, you may be uncultured and you litter everywhere. If you go to Singapore and you litter, watch what happens. You will go to jail immediately. Therefore if you come to China to make a movie, you must abide by Chinese regulations. These are just the rules of the game. This is how I feel. [applause]

Help us maintain a vibrant and dynamic discussion section that is accessible and enjoyable to the majority of our readers. Please review our Comment Policy »

John

I knew this Chinese businessman and artist who said something interesting, but kind of the opposite of what Jackie Chan said. He said: Right now, mainland China is the freest place in the world, but it’s not a good kind of free, it’s a messy, chaotic (he said 乱）kind of free.

Which is the opposite of Hong Kong’s freedom. In Hong Kong people have political freedom, but they can’t smoke anywhere they want, can’t push in front of you in lines, and have safe, regulated products.

It seems me and Jackie Chan have opposite definitions of good control and bad control, good freedom and bad freedom.

ffp

He should have been clearer on what he meant by “control”. Without specifics there’s too many ways to interpret what he said.

Teacher in China

It seems like he hadn’t really thought this through very well beforehand. Would be interesting to see him respond to the critics in a more clear way so we can better understand what he’s trying to say.

fireworks

Jackie Chan is a patriotic guy.

He is sick and tired of seeing all the traitors and running dogs giving China a hard time. With all the treehuggers, activists, imperialists jumping on the China bashing bandwagon, somebody has to stick up for the country.

Plus Jackie Chan can get a foothold with his movies, DVDs, merchandise.

jamar

Uh, no. What I see is a cop-out. What China needs is a hard time. No criticism means no improvement. Look at all the crap piled on America for the Bush administration’s *ahem* missteps. Now we have a better government.

And really, you’re comparing treehuggers to traitors (yes, you said that- you said “traitors and running dogs” and then “treehuggers, activists, and imperialists” in the same context)? I want Earth to look better in 50 years, not worse.

matt

jamar,

are you honestly telling me right now that the barack obama’s government is ‘better’ than presiden’t bush’s government?

you’ve got to be kidding me. its the same old crap. they are all corrupt. it is no better. the only difference is that obama promises to help poor and indigent at the expense of the middle class. that is what got him into office… that and the fact that he is black. at least with GWB, you knew you were getting fucked… anddd companies were still hiring under GWB. Not anymore.

obama has done jackshit for anyone.

jamar

Uh, yeah, I am. For a start, we actually have an exit plan for Iraq now (shouldn’t have even started in the first place, or we should at least be consistent and go for Burma too while Bush was at it).

actionjksn

What is the difference between George Bush and Obama? There is no real difference. Because they are both controlled by the same corporate shadow government. When you exchange one puppet ruler for another and they both have the same puppet master, then it’s the same. They just have a different style of talking. There is a one world government being put into place, if it is not stopped we will all be screwed. They are working toward drastic population reduction. If you don’t believe me just study “United nations Agenda 21″ By the way they want the world population to be between 1 and 1.5 billion people. By the way Jackie Chan is a tool also known a a useful idiot by your leaders. Don’t take my word for it do the work, study and research it. also study the “Bilderberg Group” This effects everybody in the world who is not rich and powerful. The only way to stop it is to make sure everybody finds out about what’s going on.

Jordan

Nobody in Hong Kong (Jackie’s own hood) likes him, that is because they know what kind of a person he really is, and now they have another reason to not like him more, he is getting too “pro” Beijing.

Outsider

I don’t get it… Hongkong is china right ? So why can’t he be proud of beijing ?

Do hongkong people think is better under british reign ?

And also, if in some near future war happen, aren’t u happy to be part of china country ? ( i think the british will left u to burn )

Also now hongkong economy doing really well … Aren’t most of the money come from motherland china ?

dijo

There is absolutely nothing wrong in what Jacky Chan is saying but I may want to add a few more to it.

People needs to control their tongues if they speak to incite civil unrest, hatred, discrimination and lies.

Even in a free world like the US and Canada to name a few in the western world free speech does not give you the right to speak rubbish for there is such crimes as Hate Crime etc.

Being Chinese you need to understand the real world of free speech and dont jump to conclusion that you have every right to speak rubbish to incite hatred.

The Chinese has a lot to learn and I can fully support JC’s thoughts and since when he can not exercise a good comment. I do not see it as far being the truth.

We Chinese need to learn first and not just copy cat, which makes we Chinese so bloody fake.

JC and I have nothing in common but what he is saying is fine by me and it hurts those for it is true.

I am Chinese but so what? The truth is the truth and I am my father’s son, who taught me to be truthful yet not ashamed to be one.

We Chinese need to wake up!!!

Jordan

I think it is not right to compare the US or Canada to China in terms of people’s behavior and freedom. The North Americans have over 200 years to refine their freedom and behavior, while the Chinese have only 30 years. Is it a fair comparision?

freedom

you got to understand cause and effect. don’t take effect as cause.
Controlling and fooling causes Chinese’s bad behavior. you got release Chinese control first and then they will get better.

schan

Jackie Chan says the Chinese need to be controlled.

Reality: he gets to enjoy the freedoms of being a Hong Kong citizen. If he was stuck in China, he’d be singing a different tune.

Overseas Chinese

I am stuck in Australia

i wish we had more control

Fike2308

“Many people are not like those people in the United States or Japan where they are spontaneously self-respecting. When you don’t have self-respect, the government will regulate. That is for certain.”
– Jackie Chan

Well said Jackie.

freedom

so all the chinese don’t have self-respect? how about you?

bando

don’t be too general. I’m sure some have a bit, where they would treat others like they were treating themselves.

…while others push infront of lines, block traffic with their cars, smoke around pregnant women, let their babies/pets soil the streets without cleaning up, etc etc. feel free to add to the list of terrible behavior you’ve seen that gets on your nerves.

freedom

Jacket Chen must think that Chinese is second grade human race needs to be managed and controlled. Chinese are not deserve freedom!
As a Chinese, I feel offended. Maybe Jacket Chen shall be controlled. I will never watch his movies definitely.
Freedom of speech is based on democracy and without discriminating others.

bando

Yeah, but unfortunately democracy doesn’t work if the group that are suppose to represent you and the people of the country are corrupt, self-serving and discriminant.

Pure freedom is chaos.

Hkg

Bro ,
It is 1.3 billions of people ..
And some of them doesn’t even finish high school …

Yes it really needed to be controled …

I needed my family to be safe from crime ect …

Of course there will be some sacrifice …

What freedom u felt u lack of ? Censoredship ( small price ).

I know u want freedom to buy gun like the usa so u can shoot people … After being shoot up , u can go to hospital & use usa failing health insurance system, and hopefully they still can borrowed money again from china … Cross ur fingger they dont default first …

Or like arab country how they treated woman … U want your daughter to be treated like arab woman ?

Bro, u dont like motherland china ? U can gave up ur passport and pick a country that will accept u. If they wanna accept u.

Quit bitching, enjoy life, and be proud ur a chinese people.

http://www.halloween24.com William

“new nation has only been founded sixty years ago.”

The modern China was not founded 60 years ago, but almost 100 years ago.

He is talking about the PRC, a state that has parents were so eager to escape in 1949. I find it funny that he makes himself to be so patriotic, but still keeps his MBE instead of returning it.

dlewizeh

Jackie, you are a joke. Drunken-style.

J

Based on his words, i dont think he’s saying that chinese is a second grade human race. did he say that? no. he didnt mean that chinese do not deserve freedom. he’s just saying that certain key aspects need to be improved. he’s speaking from his experience and hopes that china will improve over time. certain basic things like no spitting, no chewing gum, no chaffing around, etc are stuff which many people often overlook. he’s saying that we should learn something from others to improve ourselves. if the chinese government really made it a priority to enforce all these things at the same time be fair to everyone, positive outcomes will happen. look, he genuinely cares for us chinese and that’s why he talked about china, hong kong, taiwan and singapore. dont be uptight about it. let’s look at our ‘lawn’ and try to work things out. we chinese have a lot of work to do. this is what he’s trying to do. and that’s why he talked about it.

Kate

Many people ask questions about treatment of osteoarthritis, muscle pain. Markelov`s simulator gives an answer to these questions and many of others. Try it, you will not regret!